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墨書 Inktalez
"Because," Prince Banan said, "someone informed me of your whereabouts."
What! Zhang Qiu and Lucia were both shocked. "Who are they?" Zhang Qiu speculated that it couldn't just be one person.
"They are some Chinese people, just like you, with black hair and black eyes."
"Chinese people?" Zhang Qiu questioned.
"That's right."
Prince Banan's answer added another layer of shock to Zhang Qiu. He never expected it to be Chinese people. There were very few people in the country who knew about his trip abroad, and he couldn't think of anyone, including Bai Jingwei, who would betray him.
Prince Banan continued, "There have been Chinese people in the palace for a long time. About three years ago, a group came to Bam. At that time, I had just returned from abroad not long ago, and the country was training the New Army. I had hired military instructors from Europe at a high price. However, the prices of arms from Europeans were too expensive; on this continent of Africa, we didn't need overly advanced weapons."
"So you chose them?"
"No!" Prince Banan shook his head. "We chose North Korea; there are people there who specialize in smuggling arms, offering good quality at low prices, which is suitable for us."
"What does that have to do with them? Could it be that both parties..." Zhang Qiu couldn't help but gasp. If it was as he suspected, things were getting more complicated.
"No, there is no connection between them. They appeared suddenly when we were preparing to procure arms. By comparison, they could provide better quality weapons at lower prices, so we chose to cooperate with them. Over the past three years, we have spent nearly ten million dollars on arms. A large number of weapons for the New Army were purchased from these people."
"I always thought only countries like the United States and Russia had arms dealers," Lucia sighed from the side.
Prince Banan's answer did not resolve Zhang Qiu's doubts; instead, it raised another question: "I am curious how these people found their way here?"
"Before this, we had just signed an agreement with your country regarding mineral resources. Your country funded us to help build infrastructure and provide jobs for our citizens, while we would return the favor with recently discovered mineral resources. At that time, I personally accompanied your country's officials to observe the training of the New Army. Not long after the agreement was signed, this group approached us, so..." Prince Banan paused and added, "This is just my guess."
Zhang Qiu nodded, a bold speculation forming in his mind. The arms dealers mentioned by Prince Banan were likely the War Maniacs who had been searching for him. Zhang Qiu remembered Bai Jingwei saying that wherever there was war, that was where this group operated. These individuals came from prominent families with abundant resources and well-informed networks. It was highly likely that they decided to act once they learned that the New Army needed weapons. Alternatively, these War Maniacs might have close ties to the visitors during the signing of the agreement.
Even though Zhang Qiu had such a hypothesis, he couldn't confirm it was these people yet; he needed further verification. Since their target was the jade pendant, Zhang Qiu decided to start from there.
"Prince Banan, did that group see you wearing the jade pendant?"
"Of course, they not only saw it but also heard me tell its story. The leader of this group is named Zhao Yuanjia; he is a very proud person who showed great interest in the jade pendant and even offered to buy it at a high price. Of course, I refused; no matter how high his offer was, I would never sell my ancestral treasure."
"So when we arrived in Tanzania, did this group tell you that we carried the same jade pendant?"
"That's right, just like you said. One afternoon, Zhao Yuanjia found me, and three people came to Bam carrying identical jade pendants. I was very excited, but unfortunately, before I could find you, I was thrown into prison. Luckily, my subordinates rescued me; otherwise, I wouldn't know if I could meet you again." As he spoke about being imprisoned, a hint of sadness appeared in Prince Banan's eyes. If it weren't for his royal status, he would just be a recent graduate.
Indeed! Based on Prince Banan's description, Zhang Qiu was certain that this group of people was the War Maniacs. They stumbled upon Prince Banan's jade pendant through arms trading. That guy named Zhao Yuanjia had a keen sense and discovered the highlight from ancient legends. Although Zhao Yuanjia had immense energy, he wasn't powerful enough to act against a prince. Therefore, after being rejected by Prince Banan, he chose to look for another jade pendant. Thus, Zhang Qiu was discovered.
With one end of the complex puzzle grasped by Zhang Qiu, the entire chain was pulled out. There might be some discrepancies in certain areas, but it wouldn't deviate significantly. Zhang Qiu's heart raced as he tightly held Lucia's hand and exclaimed, "I got it! These people are the War Maniacs!"
Lucia looked at the excited Zhang Qiu and momentarily didn't understand what he meant. Seeing Lucia's confused expression, Zhang Qiu reiterated, "It's the War Maniacs that Professor Bai mentioned."
"You mean..." Lucia's mouth formed an 'O' shape. It was only when Zhang Qiu mentioned Professor Bai that she realized what Zhang Qiu meant by the War Maniacs. Lucia was a smart girl; with this hint from Zhang Qiu, she basically understood the whole situation.
Prince Banan watched Zhang Qiu and Lucia in their ecstatic state and couldn't help but ask, "Do you know this group of people?"
"Very well!" Zhang Qiu recounted how they found him and forced him to jump off a building, including the chase and gunfight on the streets of the capital to Prince Banan.
Prince Banan was shocked and sighed repeatedly, "This is just like a Hollywood movie."
"Reality is always more exciting than art."
"Then it seems I've been used; they wanted to leverage my power to find you. Damn!" Realizing he had been deceived, Prince Banan slammed his fist on the sofa. The sturdy leather sofa sank down into a round pit, clearly showing Prince Banan's anger.
"Where are they?" Zhang Qiu asked. Since this group was looking for him, they must still be in Bam; perhaps they were even inside the palace. Zhang Qiu thought that if they were in the palace, he could use Prince Banan's power against them.
Prince Banan let out a sigh and furrowed his brows as he said, "They've already left."
"Left?" Zhang Qiu felt regretful for missing an opportunity.
"They had a helicopter. The moment the New Army clashed with the National Defense Force in front of the palace, they flew away just like they came. The countless protesting crowds surrounding the palace couldn't stop them from entering, and neither could the rebel soldiers stop them from leaving."
Zhang Qiu recalled seeing a helicopter fly overhead while with Uncle Agari in front of the palace; perhaps it was the War Maniacs inside that helicopter. He had been so close to them.
"We need to find them!" Lucia said.
Prince Banan smiled lightly but shook his head and sighed, "I'm afraid that's very difficult now; they've gone south with the king. Currently, two-thirds of the territory is under my father's control; his National Defense Force has 150,000 men loyal to him while my New Army combined with the rebel National Defense Force totals only about 60,000—more than double our numbers."
"Strange; they provided weapons to the New Army; why would they leave with the king who controls the National Defense Force? Wouldn't it be better for them to stay in the palace?" Lucia expressed her deep confusion.
"I think I can explain," Zhang Qiu said. "The famous British politician Benjamin once said, 'There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.' That's how these people operate. The king and prince are vastly different in strength; despite Bam having fallen and the king being forced to flee south, as long as the king remains and his army exists, this country still belongs to him in their eyes. If they stayed in the palace to continue supporting the prince after the king regains control, they would inevitably sever trade ties with them afterward. By choosing to go south with the king instead, this attitude can later be converted into profit. They are merchants who know how to earn greater benefits."
“Zhang Qiu's analysis is quite accurate,” Prince Banan said, “I share the same view on this matter.”
“Then your situation must be very dangerous,” Lucia said frankly, showing concern for Prince Banan.
“I am not afraid. No matter how dangerous it is, I will persevere. Behind me stands countless people yearning for reform, the Public. As the Prince of Nasantia, I cannot let my people down. I believe that the spring breeze of reform will surely blow across this land!” Prince Banan's gaze was resolute, like two bright lights in the darkness, illuminating the path forward for millions in Tanzania.
“You will definitely succeed,” Zhang Qiu said. “In my country, similar events have occurred. Mr. Sun brought about reform; the tide of the world flows relentlessly—those who follow it prosper, while those who resist it perish. I firmly believe that That Santanian will eventually embrace its own happiness.”
“Thank you, thank you…”
Prince Banan nodded repeatedly, saying thank you three times in a row. After a long moment, he lifted his head and grasped his jacket, saying, “You all see this piece of clothing, right?”
“We see it,” Zhang Qiu and Lucia nodded. Aside from being slightly worn, there seemed to be no other issues with Prince Banan's striped shirt. Zhang Qiu did not understand why Prince Banan had deliberately brought up this piece of clothing.
“This is not an ordinary shirt,” Prince Banan began to explain. “This is a prison uniform; it is what I wore in prison. After my release, the ministers prepared new clothes for me, but I refused them. I want to wear this shirt because it holds great significance for me. I have heard about the tragedy that occurred in front of the palace; I want to use this shirt to constantly remind myself that there are people waiting, there are people hoping, and some are risking their lives for change!”
Prince Banan's words were deafeningly powerful, leaving Zhang Qiu and Lucia speechless for a long time.
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